The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-03-15

Pile. The scenes Just aftsr the disaster
were narrowing in the extreme. The
gaoans and shrieks OF the injured PEG.
pie wee heard by the residents in the
neighborirg houses, Of which there
ve:e q number in the immediate
vicinity. The only person known
10 have bsen an eye witness OF the
disaster who was not on the train was
J. II. Lennon, a fish dealer, whoee
stable was ON the hill jut above the
bridge. Lennon was Harvesting his
team when the train came along and
turned TO see IL pass. He was horror
stricken when he saw the iraiu take
lts awiul plunge through the bridge.
For O moment, Lennon says, there
was period quiet, and then the cries
OF the injured were heard issuing from
the debris. Sewing an az from the
barn, Lennon started fer the wreck,
which he reached in a moment. He
climbed into the window OF one OF the
coaches that had landed against the
stoEe wall, and set to work 10 release
those persons who had been PINNED
down by the broken timbCri. Lennon
with his AK rsleafed four men who
were badly hurt and handed them out
Of the window TO other men who had
come to the rescue. He also handed
out tho dead bodies Of two women,
one OF whom was nearly decapitated
aud had both arms severed from her
body. Ddring all this dme. Lennon
says,
rHR sHRIRKs on THE WOUNDED AND
ORGANS on THE DYING
mazda q pandemosium around him
that was nothing short OF horrible.
IL the meantime other passengers
frem the coaches that had remained
on top Of the embankment, and who
had escaped serious injuries, bad
Joined in the work OF rescue. The
engine had remained on the track
and had proceeded al once to Forest
Hii Station, whence the engineer sent
ont an alarm by telephone to the city.
In q ehOrt nine q corps oil reecuers
and surgeons from the city were at
the SCENE As the dead were removed
they we're laid In q row on the stone
wall, whae the wounded were laid on
cushions which were hastily gathered
together. Arrangements were in
stantly made for the disposal Of both
the killed and injured. Ambulances
aud hacks had been sent from the city
within half an hour after the disaster
occurred, and as these conveyances
reached the scene they were Oh once
started back 10 the city laden with
dead, bound to the City MWgue, or
with injured destined for the City or
Massachusetts General Hospitals. A
large number q the injured were also
To zen to residences In the vicinity 10
be cared for, while others we're sent 10
the depsts at Fore.t Hill and R0alin.
dale. Four dead bodies were also
taken to the depot at Roslindsle.
These passengers who escaped serious
injury and were able 10 proceed
were taken 10 the junction at Forest
Hill, aad then forwarded to their des-
iuatioa In the city proper. By the
time the Grst regular passenger train
frem the CITY had reached the scene
laden with anxious and curious people
nothing could be seen but the splin-
tered and shattered cars lying ON the
smban lunent or in the road way. All
Of the dead and Injured have been re-
moved to the morgue, hospitals, de-
pots or residences. and the survivors
had slss all disappeared. The rail
read okacals did all in their power Ia
givo Information 10 inquirers after
Reva and to friends or relatives seek
| lag Information az to the fate Of theil
loved ones. The scenes at the Provi
denoe station in this city this morning
was peculiarly touching. The depo
was crowded with people, many o
WHOM were women, and nearly al
seemed to have some vital interest Ii
the fate of'some one Of whom the.
we're sure must have been on tn,
train. Women were oEyiDg and sob
bing and forcing their way through
tho thropg plying first one oficia
ami then another with question
which these officials we're unabl,
TO answer satisfactorily. There wer'
men, too, in the crowd who sheS
tears, perhaps as much from sympatb.
with tho great distress of 30 man.
women as from sorrow in their owl
behalf. 1t was no uncommon thin
to hear women ask II such or such
person had been killed, and when On
swered: Il cannot tell you, ma'am,
THEY WOULD BuRsT OUT CRYING
laneuting and exclsiming that the
knew heK friends were dead. Georg
Stafford, OF Roslindale, was in tn
second car Of the wrecked train, an
tells q thrilling story Of his experience
He said: III took the train at Roslir
dale with my mother. We were sitting |
the middle OF the second car. There wa
absolutely nothing to give a Fremont
ton of the disaster. All at once ther
was q crush, q deafening noise,
moment or two of the grinding {
timbers, and then for moment q
was still. II had come with cue
agiul suddenneBs that everybod
seemed paralyEsd Then arose cor
fusion OF sou ads from the wrecked cal
below. Voices were calling out 10
help, women were screaming for siC
while all around us there were groau
from hose who we're badly hurt or dy
Jag. The floor of one car seemed to b
forced up TO the roof, the entire ooso
having collapsed apparently. Whe
the crash calue our heads were baugs
against the rOof, while the seats wei
strswn about everywhere. Man
people were under the seats and SON
were crushed between them. d rectl
in front OF US sat man named Ryal
ono 81 my neighbors in Roslindsl
We were conversing with him at tn
: moment OF the crash. Ryan YVES ha
, turned in his seat as he talked and Ii
moment after the wreck, when ga
MIN again. he was actually run throug
, and through by splinters from II
, bottom Of the car. My mother and
, we're fastened in between our seat an
: Ryan's, but l managed to break Q
! Ryau's seat and release ourselves. N
mother had tainted, and at FIRST
, thought she was dead. l pulled h,
> out lhroVgh a window, and she sou
revived In the open air. l then 8
cured a carriage and sent her HON
: aud devoted myself to helping relea
: the impisoned passengers. The sigl
among the debris in the roadway W
, horrible. There were many Poop
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